Flames from growing Holy fire burn to within feet of Lake Elsinore homes

Firefighters raced from street to street late Thursday in Lake Elsinore neighborhoods, successfully fighting back flames as winds pushed the expanding Holy fire perilously close to homes.

The blaze, possibly sparked by an arsonist Monday, has raced through more than 10,000 acres of thick brush and timber in Orange and Riverside counties, prompting evacuations, closing roads and shuttering some local schools while fouling the air and casting ominous clouds of dark smoke over the region.

Some 700 firefighters, fire engines and aircraft dropping retardant and water took on the streets. The trucks parked in driveways, and crews ran hoses into backyards to fight off walls of flames climbing up hillsides.

The afternoon fire burned near Rice Canyon Elementary and even the McVicker Park Fire Station as well as adjacent McVicker Park used as a staging Area for law-enforcement and firefighters.

All were spared.

No homes were reported damaged by flames Thursday. Twelve structures, higher up in the mountains, have burned since the fire started Monday.

Thanh Nguyen, a spokesman for Holy incident commanders, credited the teamwork of meteorologists, fire-behavior analysts and firefighters for saving the homes.

“The bottom line is we anticipated it. They got ahead of it,” Nguyen said.

The blaze grew to 10,236 acres Thursday and containment remained at 5 percent. Containment is the percentage of the fire’s perimeter that firefighters have determined the blaze will no long spread beyond

Above the neighborhoods, hand crews climbed steep terrain like herds of mountain goats to dig fire breaks. But high winds caused embers to start new fires. Those winds are the result of thunderstorms outside the fire area.

Those thunderstorms brought erratic winds Thursday that pushed flames in unpredictable directions. Those same storms are expected this weekend to bring the promise of higher humidity — a weather condition that should help slow the flames, Nguyen said.

A difficult firefight was expected Thursday night and Friday, Nguyen said, as flames continue to move downhill on three different fronts, into Horsethief Canyon, McVickers Canyon and El Cariso Village. McVickers, where the fire was especially aggressive Thursday, will be a point of emphasis Friday.

New mandatory evacuations were ordered Thursday afternoon.

Just after 2 p.m., the Cleveland National Forest ordered residents of the mountainside of Lake Street, as well as those living in the area southwest of the area spanning Grand Avenue to Ortega Highway, to evacuate.

At 3:30 p.m., voluntary evacuations were announced for the Shoreline community.

Just after 5 p.m., the Lake Street offramps on the 15 Freeway were closed.

Also Thursday, Gov. Brown declared a state of emergency in Riverside and Orange counties, a proclamation that will allow them to receive disaster assistance from the state. The order also waives fees for replacing vehicle records such as licenses and registrations destroyed by fire, and it eliminates the one-week waiting period for applying for unemployment benefits for those who have lost their job because of the fire.

The flames and poor air quality prompted several Riverside County school districts to close schools Thursday; some will also be closed on Friday.

“(O)ut of an abundance of caution, and because of mandatory evacuations in specific neighborhoods affected by the Holy fire, the following Lake Elsinore Unified School District schools will be closed until further notice: Luiseño School, Rice Canyon Elementary, Terra Cotta Middle School, and Withrow Elementary,” the district said on its website.

Residents along Crystal Ridge Court in Lake Elsinore load a truck as they evacuate as the Holy fire burns near their home on Wednesday afternoon, August 8, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The Holy fire burns in the Cleveland National Forest behind homes along Crystal Ridge Court in Lake Elsinore on Wednesday afternoon, August 8, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Bobby Cruz washes fire retardant off his car after a plane made a drop behind his home on Crystal Ridge Court in Lake Elsinore as the Holy fire burned near homes on Wednesday afternoon, August 8, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Residents take in the Holy Jim Fire line above Lake Elsinore on Wednesday, August 8, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A plane drops fire retardant in the Cleveland National Forest behind homes along Crystal Ridge Court in Lake Elsinore as the Holy fire burned near homes on Wednesday afternoon, August 8, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A firefighter stops to talk with residents on Spectra Drive in Lake Elsinore shortly before the neighborhood was evacuated as the Holy fire burned near homes on Wednesday afternoon, August 8, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Residents on Spectra Drive in Lake Elsinore pack their belongings as they are evacuated as the Holy fire burned near homes on Wednesday afternoon, August 8, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A man sits on his roof and watches the approaching fire along McVicker Canyon Park Road in Lake Elsinore as the Holy fire burned near homes on Wednesday afternoon, August 8, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

OCFA Battalion Chief Shane Sherwood speaks during a press conference on the progress of the Holy fire in Cleveland National Forest at the Orange County Fire Authority headquarters in Irvine on Wednesday, August 8, 2018. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Sheriff’s deputies talk to Forrest Gordon Clark, a 10-year Holy Jim Canyon resident. whose home was the only surviving structure in the area where he lives. Neighbors say he acts erratically and threatened firefighters with a sword while they were fighting Monday’s blaze. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Lake Elsinore Mayor Natasha Johnson, left, looks at the Holy fire as it burns near homes in Lake Elsinore as Nicole Dailey, assistant to the mayor, shoots video of the scene on Wednesday afternoon, August 8, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The Holy fire burns near homes in Horsethief Canyon near Corona on Wednesday, August 8, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Lake Elsinore Mayor Natasha Johnson, left, looks at a video with Nicole Dailey, assistant to the mayor, as the Holy fire burns near homes behind them in Lake Elsinore on Wednesday afternoon, August 8, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Holy Jim volunteer Fire Chief Mike Milligan is keeping an eye on the fire that destroyed at least 13 homes yesterday and is still burning out of control.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Having burned over 4000 acres in it’s third day, the Holy fire burns near homes in Lake Elsinore on Wednesday, August 8, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A plane drops fire retardant in the Cleveland National Forest behind homes along Crystal Ridge Court in Lake Elsinore as the Holy fire burned near homes on Wednesday afternoon, August 8, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The mid-afternoon sun is nearly blocked out along McVicker Canyon Park Road in Lake Elsinore as the Holy fire burns near homes on Wednesday afternoon, August 8, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Home owner Russ Price is surrounded by smoke, ash, and smoldering homes in Holy Jim Canyon on Tuesday, Aug 7, 2018. He doesn’t know how his structure survived. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The Holy fire burns in the Cleveland National Forest behind homes along Crystal Ridge Court in Lake Elsinore on Wednesday afternoon, August 8, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A plane drops fire retardant in the Cleveland National Forest behind homes along Crystal Ridge Court in Lake Elsinore as the Holy fire burned near homes on Wednesday afternoon, August 8, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Sheriff’s deputies talk to Forrest Gordon Clark, a 10-year Holy Jim Canyon resident whose home was the only surviving structure in the area where he lives. Neighbors say he acts erratically and threatened firefighters with a sword while they were fighting Monday’s blaze. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

U.S. Forest Service Incident Commander Chris Fogle speaks during a press conference on the progress of the Holy Fire in Cleveland National Forest at the Orange County Fire Authority headquarters in Irvine on Wednesday, August 8, 2018. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A pedestrian looks at the Holy Jim Fire as it burns in the mountains behind Lake Mission Viejo in Mission Viejo on Wednesday, August 8, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Fire engines stand by as the Holy fire burns near homes in Horsethief Canyon near Corona on Wednesday, August 8, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Having burned over 4000 acres in it’s third day, the Holy fire burns near homes in Lake Elsinore on Wednesday, August 8, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Flames from the Holy fire that started in Orange County burn the Cleveland National Forest above Lake Elsinore in Riverside County on Wednesday morning, Aug. 8, 2018. (Screen grab courtesy of ABC 7 television)

Holy Jim volunteer firefighter Luke Senger stands next to a home destroyed by fire on Monday, Aug 6, 2018. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

People watch firefighting efforts on the Holy Fire in Corona on Tuesday, August 7, 2018. (Photo courtesy Chris Rusanowsky)

Holy Jim volunteer firefighter Luke Senger shows a map to John Colclough, of homes that were destroyed in Holy Jim Canyon on Monday, Aug 6, 2018. Colclough has lived in the canyon since the early 70s. “We lost a lot today, man. This is a huge, huge hit,” he said. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A 747 Global Super Tanker 944 makes a retardant drop along a ridge during the Holy fire burning in the Cleveland National Forest near Corona, Calif. on Tuesday, August 7, 2018. Firefighters are working in rugged terrain amid scorching temperatures that have prompted warnings about excessive heat and extreme fire danger for much of the region. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

A Sheriff deputy walks up the road to a home that was spared Monday’s fire in Holy Jim Canyon. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

People watch firefighting efforts on the Holy Fire in Corona on Tuesday, August 7, 2018. (Photo courtesy Chris Rusanowsky)

A fire crew from San Bernardino arrives back in to Holy Jim Canyon on Tuesday, Aug 7, 2018 after the winds shift. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A firefighting helicopter kicks up dust from the parched mountain in Holy Jim Canyon on Tuesday, Aug 7, 2018. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Home owner Russ Price is surrounded by smoke, ash, and smoldering homes in Holy Jim Canyon on Tuesday, Aug 7, 2018. He doesn’t know how his structure survived. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A fire crew from San Bernardino arrives back in to Holy Jim Canyon on Tuesday, Aug 7, 2018 after the winds shift. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

“I know the terrain pretty well. I just did it for so long — you just never forget,” Kiefer said.

The fire had burned down to the red line of retardant dropped Wednesday to protect the area.

“It will burn,” Kiefer said of the retardant-coated brush and oak trees. “But it just takes longer to start. The embers are what you have to worry about — they can blow a mile-and-half.”

In the evacuated McVicker Canyon Park neighborhood in Lake Elsinore, Joe Rodriguez, 38, decided to stay put in his home, which backs up against the burning hillside. “Until that thing is barking at my door, I’m going to stick with it,” he said.

Rodriguez said he is an experienced hang glider pilot familiar with the area’s fire country. “I fly over this 300 hours a year.”

He also said the line of fire retardant dropped on the hill above his house has so far checked the fire’s advance – aided by a helicopter water drop earlier Thursday morning.

Rodriguez said his wife and two daughters have evacuated. On Thursday morning he was going over his patio with a power washer – not for fire prevention but to wash off the fire retardant before it stained.

Fire authorities have advised against residents waiting until the last minute to evacuate because it could cause traffic concerns especially in neighborhoods with winding and narrow roads. Tips on making an evacuation plan are available at ReadyForWildfire.org.

As residents are trying to flee, larger fire trucks could be trying to get in causing congestion.

Skydiving planes rerouted

It was mostly business as usual Thursday at Skydive Elsinore. Daniella Martin, the operations manager, refuted claims made on social media that skydivers were interfering with aerial firefighting operations.

The airfield is south of the lake, whereas the fire is burning to the north. Planes that normally would take off to the north are now launching to the south because of the fire, Martin said. She added that she heard from fire officials Thursday thanking Skydive Elsinore for its cooperation.

But some callers to the facility have been cursing at office staff and claiming that the skydivers “are as bad as the arsonist,” Martin said.

Nguyen, the incident commanders’ spokesman, said the presence of skydivers was “a non-issue.”

Also Thursday, Lake Elsinore Mayor Natasha Johnson sought to dispel what she said were rumors of robbery and looting in the evacuation areas.

“I personally was in a patrol car from 9:45 p.m. until almost 2 a.m. (Thursday) morning. There were a few calls for reported burglaries, all unfounded,” she wrote on her Facebook page, Natasha Johnson Lake Elsinore Mayor. “According to our sheriff’s department, this morning I have confirmed no arrests were made in any of the evacuation areas.”

The Sheriff’s Department confirmed that there has been no looting and that it has increased its presence in the neighborhoods.

Flames tend to burn quickly uphill, but not downhill. Not so in Lake Elsinore, according to the report. Marine air from the Pacific Ocean flows east over the Santa Ana Mountains and down through the northeast-facing canyons and drainage basins, pushing flames downhill. This movement of air typically ends around sundown as areas to the east cool, causing the flames to reverse direction and begin to burn back uphill.

The report described ferocious firestorms in Lake Elsinore that killed six firefighters and injured about 45 more out of a firefighting force of 500 in the 1959 fire.